Character Name Meanings

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'In the abstract, I have nothing to complain about. But the process of making movies has become so debilitating, so devoid of any enthusiasm for the material, for the talent involved. I mean, I'm very glad I have a theatre business.'

-- Scott Rudin

But Character Names do carry meanings, even today. At least they do for the playwright, even if you can't count on audiences sharing those implications. Stereotypes in names have power, even subtle ones coming simply from the sound of the names.

Think of renaming the central character of the Rambo movies, WENDELL.

So Arthur Miller called his central character WILLY LOMAN instead of something like WADE LANCER. And you won't find many spies or masked avengers named ELMER or GLADYS in Hollywood films for the same reason.

In the good old days, you could get away with painting a sign on characters with their names by drawing on a dominant trait. That's a bit obvious for the contemporary theatre, but here's what Tennessee Williams did in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF . . .

• MARGARET [also called MAGGIE]
  For the strong sister-in-law married to Brick

• BRICK
  For the favored son

• GOOPER
  For the wimpy unfavored son

• MAE
  For the weak sister-in-law married to Gooper